🥦 Vegetables
Eggplant and Cheese Stuffed Meatballs in Air Fryer
Vegetarian meatballs made from roasted eggplant, stuffed with cheese, cooked in air fryer or oven. Served with marinara sauce and parmesan.
🥘 Ingredients
roasted eggplant pulp, peeled and drained — 300 g (10.6 oz)
roasted red bell pepper (kapia or gogosar) — 1
egg — 1
breadcrumbs — 100 g (3.5 oz)
finely grated parmesan — 30 g (1 oz)
salt — to taste
garlic cloves — 2
cheddar or aged mozzarella (for filling) — 150 g (5.3 oz)
fresh parsley, chopped — a handful
dried oregano — to taste
dried basil — to taste
olive oil (for spraying) — as needed
marinara sauce for serving — to taste
fresh basil leaves for garnish — to taste
extra grated parmesan for garnish — to taste
👨🍳 Steps
1Roast the eggplants on a gas stove or grill until the skin is charred. Peel and let them drain well. Roast the bell pepper, then peel it.
2Finely chop the eggplants, roasted pepper, and parsley. Grate or mince the garlic.
3In a large bowl, mix chopped eggplants, pepper, parsley, garlic, salt, breadcrumbs, grated parmesan, egg, dried oregano, and dried basil. Knead gently until well combined.
4Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and let it rest for 15 minutes.
5Divide the mixture into 9 equal portions. Wet your palm, flatten each portion, place a cube of cheese in the center, seal the edges, and shape into a round meatball.
6Lightly brush or spray the meatballs with olive oil.
7For air fryer: Preheat to 200°C (400°F) for 5 minutes. Place meatballs in the basket with space between them. Cook at 180°C (350°F) for 15 minutes, then increase temperature to 200°C (400°F) for another 5 minutes to brown.
8For oven: Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F) with fan. Place meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 25–30 minutes at 200°C (400°F).
9Serve the meatballs on a bed of marinara sauce. Sprinkle extra parmesan and garnish with basil leaves.
🛒 Shopping List
300g eggplant pulp (or 1 large raw eggplant ~700g), 1 roasted red bell pepper, 1 egg, 100g plain breadcrumbs, 30g finely grated Parmesan, salt to taste, 2 garlic cloves, 150g cașcaval or matured mozzarella, a handful fresh parsley, dried oregano, dried basil, olive oil for brushing, marinara sauce for serving, fresh basil for garnish, extra grated Parmesan for garnish